EOT 
EOT 
for their darts. The natural order of gras- 
ses are, as every one knows, wholesome 
throughout ; for the intoxicating effects re- 
corded of Lolium temulentum can hardly 
be deemed an exception. The beneficent 
Author of Nature has usually indicated the 
wholesome qualities of plants by an agree- 
able smell or taste, while dangerous ones are 
endued with contrary flavours. The berries 
of deadly nightshade, Alropa belladonna, 
are indeed an exception to this, but a rare 
ene. 
Wnen we speak here of plants as being 
wholesome or poisonous, it must be under- 
stood only with a reference to our own 
species, and those animals which most ap- 
proach us in shape and constitution, as qua- 
drupeds, and even of these some form an 
exception. Thus goats prefer and thrive 
upon the most acrid plants, which blister the 
stomachs or even hands of tae human 
species, as clematis, anemone, ranunculus, 
&c. Insects in general feed on the most 
virulent herbs, which no other animals can 
taste, and thus such are turned to account 
in the general plan of nature. Tne art of 
cookery renders many vegetables whole- 
some to man, that without it would be far 
otherwise, as the potatoe, which is a species 
of nightshade, or Soianmn, and many fruits 
are rendered much more salutary in conse- 
quence of being dressed. The cassava 
bread of the West Indies is made of the 
highly acrid Jatropha, purified by washing 
and daying. A number of further obser- 
vations might be added ; but the above are 
sufficient to shew the use of botanical science 
in a medical point of view. The necessity 
that those who make use of highly powerful 
plants for the cure of diseases should know 
one plant from another is evident. We 
have known the useless Lythrum salicaria 
gathered, and sold to the apothecary, for 
fox-glove, and the sweet inactive chervil 
for the powerful hemlock ; we have also 
known henbane taken for clary. A little 
science will guard against such mistakes. 
The “ Medical Botany” of the late Dr. 
Woodville, so extensive in its sale among 
country practitioners, has perhaps done 
more to prevent them than most other 
books ; but the liberal and dignified phy- 
sician should be able, by more philosophical 
means, not only to guard against mistakes 
and mischief, but by new inquiries and 
studies to advance the healing art. 
BOTE, in our old law-books, signifies re- 
compence or amends : thus manbote, is a 
compensation for a man slain. 
There are likewise house-bote and plough- 
bote, privileges to tenants of cutting wood 
for making ploughs, repairing tenements, 
and likewise for fuel. 
BOTRYCHIUM, in botany, a genus of 
the Cryptogamia Filices class and order : 
capsule nearly globular, distinct, clustered 
in a raceme-like spike ; one-celled, opening 
from the top to the base. There are five 
species. 
BOTTLE, a small vessel proper for hold- 
ing liquors. We say a glass bottle, a stone 
bottle, a leathern bottle, a wooden bottle, 
a sucking-bottle. Of glass bottles no men- 
tion occurs before the 15th century : for the 
“ Amphorae vitreae” of Petronius, to the 
necks of which were affixed labels, express- 
ing the name and age of the wine, appear 
to have been large jars, and to have form- 
ed part of the many uncommon articles by 
which the voluptuary Trimalchio wished to 
distinguish 'himself. It is, however, singular, 
that these convenient vessels were not 
thought of at an earlier period, especially 
as among the small funeral urns of the an- 
cients, many are to be found, which, ia 
shape, resemble our bottles. 
Beckmann conceives that he discovers 
the origin of our bottles in the figure of the 
Syracusan wine-flasks. Charpentier cites, 
from a writing of the year 1387 an expres- 
sion which seems to allude to one of our 
glass bottles , but this, attentively consi- 
dered, refers merely to cups or drinking 
glasses. The name boutiaux, or boutilles, 
occurs in the French language for the first 
time in the 15th century ; but if it were 
more ancient it would prove nothing, as it 
signified originally, and still signifies, ves- 
sels of clay or metal, and particularly of 
leather. Such vessels, filled with wine, 
which travellers were accustomed to sus- 
pend from their saddles, might be stopped 
with a piece of wood, or closed by means 
of wooden or metal tops screwed on them ; 
and such are still used for earthen pitchers. 
We shall here add, that stoppers of cork 
must have been introduced after the in- 
vention of glass bottles; In 1553, they 
were little known ; and their introduction 
into the shops of the apothecaries in Ger- 
many took place about the end of the 17th 
century. Before that period, they used 
stoppers of wax, which were more trouble- 
some and more expensive. The. ancient 
Jewish bottles were cags made of goats’ or 
other wild beasts’ skins, with the hair on 
the inside, well sewed and pitched toge- 
ther ; an aperture in one of the animal’s 
